Sleep and Weight Loss
Did you know that sleep and weight are related? There are many reasons, physically and mentally, that the amount of sleep you get impacts weight loss, weight gain and healthy weight maintenance. These relations are found in hormones, energy, feeling of wellness and general sleep habits.
Hormones, Sleep and Weight
When we sleep, our brains release a whole set of hormones that we don’t get throughout the day. At the same time, our brains release another whole set of hormones when we aren’t getting enough sleep. Appetite, cravings and mood affects the food we eat and the cravings we have.
Two of these main hormones related to appetite are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is the hormone that makes us feel full. Ghrelin is the hormone that helps us feel hungry. A study of 12 men around the age of 22 found that restricting their sleep produced higher levels of ghrelin and lower levels of leptin, making them feel hungrier. Another study of over 1000 adults found that shorter sleep duration was also associated with redacted leptin hormone, elevated levels of ghrelin and higher BMI.
So when we don’t sleep enough, we feel hungrier. And when we’re sleepy and hungry, we’re more likely to snack on processed, high-carb and sweet-tasting foods. Getting a good night's sleep is a great way to keep your hungry hormones in balance.
Energy, Sleep and Weight
Sleep is what fuels our day. Without it we struggle to focus, we can’t think properly, our moods are more likely to swing and we lack energy to do what we want to do. When we feel sluggish and low on energy, we’re less likely to be physically active. We’re also more likely to order food or pick something up than to cook at home.
Our energy levels are what enable us to make healthy life decisions. When we feel rested and energized it is easy to make healthy choices for our bodies. Getting proper sleep is important for having the capacity to be healthy.
On the other side of the curve, exercising and living healthy during the day can help you sleep well at night. So it’s really a circular relationship: sleep well, eat well, live well, sleep well.
Wellness, Sleep and Weight
General health and wellness impacts our sleep habits, our stress levels and our ability to maintain a healthy weight. Sleep is necessary to rest our bodies, to recover from stressful situations and to give our minds a break from the day before. Stress can lead to insomnia and difficulty sleeping. This in turn can impact your mood, how you feel about yourself and your overall wellness.
If you find yourself stuck on a cycle of feeling stressed out, not sleeping well, not eating well, not being productive and then being stressed out about it all, try this one thing: get to bed. Meditate, do some yoga, go to bed super early so you can at least rest a bit: whatever you have to do, get some sleep. Sleep is the hinge that can remove this stress cycle.
It’s no secret that when we feel good in our bodies, we find joy in taking care of ourselves. We’ve all experienced how different we feel after a really good sleep.
Sleep Habits, Sleep and Weight
Sleep habits and a sleep routine can help you fall asleep faster. Your body gets used to these signs that it is bedtime. Do your sleep habits promote a healthy lifestyle?
Although cookies and milk are historically a great bedtime snack, a handful of almonds or a cup of tea can reduce the sugar rush while still making you feel full before bed. 10 minutes of stretching, meditation, or reading in bed are other great bedtime routine habits that can help reduce stress, calm the mind and make you feel good in your skin.
A consistent sleep routine can lead to a consistent sleep schedule. Consistency is key to benefiting from steady hormones, feelings of rest and energy and reduced stress. All of these can help you maintain healthy weight and an overall healthy lifestyle.
Sleep and Weight
Sleep impacts how you eat, live and feel. There are hormonal and physical ways that getting enough sleep will help you maintain your healthy weight or lose weight. It is so much easier to feel empowered to make healthy choices when you’re on top of your sleep schedule.